ok, so today I did a little restoration on one of the 2 tikis I did at the Tahitian Inn last year. I named this one the "weeping tahitian", because it was sapping out so badly it actually looked like it was crying. I couldn't even stain it...

Anyway, it finally stopped pouring out, so I cleaned it up a bit & stained it yesterday and today...

I think the owners are happy because, as promised, I came back & did a little maintenance on it free of charge & made him pretty again. I always stand behind my work, and now they know that. Hopefully that will help me get the rest of work I'm proposing over there...

Beautiful work, and great detail - kudos to you pjc5150 - hope they will give you the opportunity to further transform the decor of the Tahitian Inn into what it really needs to look like - you are on the right track with what it should have there. It's a shame that down here on West Coast of FL there are no real old-school vintage Tiki Bars - I'm seeing mostly cheesy, weak, and like you said: catalog bought tikis, and they mix it in with a sleek background. Need more bamboo, floats, nets hanging from the ceiling, etc... The Tahitian's "Kon Tiki" bar needs to revamp their decor - their logos suggest old-school Tiki, but that doesn't come through in the bar.

I think that, pragmatically speaking, it is all a matter of the education/taste level of the the customer base at any given location you are at. It is no use to be pouring 1934 Zombies when the people that live in the area not only cannot appreciate them - it has happened that local folks just don't like the taste of craft cocktails, and WANT their Mai Tais red and sweet and weak.

One has to be slowly and subtly subversive to show people what is good, and that what they think is, is not the end-all.

You couldn't be more correct in your assessment sir. And thanks for the kind words guys.

So yeah, Tampa isn't exactly on the cutting edge of "tiki culture", and probably never will be.

Here's the way I see it: a big part of Florida's tiki history revolves around polynesian themed motels / hotels, and the Tahitian definitely falls into that category. The bottom line is we're hangin' out at a hotel pool bar that is mostly frequented by out of state tourists who aren't necessarily interested in "correctness". One of the main factors making all of the things I have planned for the Tahitian possible is simply the fact that the owners take a lot of pride in their establishment and it's history, and they think the tiki stuff is cool & very "on theme".

As far as the "real deal" is concerned, myself and some other locals folks are planning a once-a-month "Tiki nights at the Tahitian" where we'll do the whole tropical drink thing, probably have some cool music, and I'll bring some tiki stuff and do live carvings (and invite any other carver to do the same - it ain't all about me). Several key people have kinda jumped on board to help out & make it a cool experience, one of whom is a local radio personality & tiki-phile, and who's husband heads up our local exotica band "the stolen idols". I think that with all the people that have stepped up, it's going to be a cool event & the start of something good.

I think that once the owners see what we're doing, it's going to have an effect on them. I think they're going to like it, and I think they'll want more of it. But change doesn't happen overnight....it's a process.

The first "Tiki nights at the Tahitian" gig is tentatively planned for 1/24/13...and I would invite anyone and everyone here to attend...

I set up a little facebook group in an effort to bring our "fractured local scene" together, and where anyone can join up and be a part of the ongoing conversation about this and other local tiki stuff........... http://www.facebook.com/groups/352104094880192/

As long as we kinda create a place where we can do our thing once a month, or weekly if it works out, and they allow me to do some more tikis there, I'll be a very happy & appreciatice guy.... If it turns into something bigger & people tune in, well that's cool too. The more the merrier.

Anyhoo, here's a few of the black and white photos hangin' up inside showing it's former glory....

see that last one? with the stonework? well one of the buildings in back still has that same stone exterior, and part of what I'm proposing is doing a couple of big masks to put up on that wall...